


That Doesn't Mean We're In Love

by Chash



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Marriage, Misunderstandings, Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 20:03:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7236523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chash/pseuds/Chash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke tells Bellamy they need to get married. For some reason, she's really annoyed that he just <i>agrees</i>. It's like he doesn't even want to fight about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Doesn't Mean We're In Love

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after season three, but ignores the whole nuclear meltdown thing because, honestly, I just don't care about it.

"I need you to marry me."

There's only the slightest pause; he doesn't even look up from whatever he's whittling. "Okay."

Clarke's pause is much longer; she was all worked up, ready to rant and rave and argue, but he's so nonchalant about it that all the fight goes out of her, and she sinks down onto the rock next to him. "What?"

"What?"

"Just--okay? That's it?"

Bellamy glances at her then, looks her up and down, and then turns back to the wood. He's not really great at carving, but she thinks he likes having something to do with his hands. "You did say I needed to do it. I assume that means there's a good reason. Did you want me to say no?"

She huffs. "No."

"Yeah, I figured. So yeah, let's get married. Why are we getting married, exactly? I'm assuming it has something to do with your negotiations today? Or you saw me carving a shitty bear and were suddenly overcome with desire."

"That's a bear?"

"Fuck you."

"No, I could tell it was an animal this time. You're getting a lot better."

"I changed my mind, I'm not marrying you," he says, and it sobers her, makes her groan and drop her head onto his shoulder. He nudges her off, but in an affectionate way. "Seriously, what happened?"

"They wanted a marriage treaty, and Pyrah said I was already married. To you."

"And you corrected her?"

"No, I was going to go with it. Jasper corrected her. So--I said we were engaged, because otherwise she wanted me to marry someone from their clan. And she said that was even better, because a marriage is an auspicious start to an alliance or something. So--we're supposed to get married. In a few weeks."

"Sure," he says, with an easy shrug. He stands and gives her the bear. "That's like a ring, right?"

"Wow. You're such a romantic."

"You're the one who wants to marry me," he says, with an absent wave over his shoulder. "Just tell me when the wedding is."

*

For a conversation that went exactly how she wanted--Bellamy agreed to marry her, she doesn't have to marry anyone else, and the treaty will go through--Clarke is weirdly annoyed about the whole thing. Pyrah is delighted, says there's a couple in the mountain clan who are also planning to marry, and the double ceremony will be even better than a single one. It's good to start an alliance with unity, she says, and Clarke smiles and agrees and lets her go make arrangements.

She goes to the council room next, ideally to fight with her mother about it. She's still itching for someone to tell her she can't do this, just so she can tell them she can. Usually Bellamy does that for her, but apparently he decided to not be difficult today. Like an asshole.

"Are you done with the negotiations?" Abby asks, when Clarke comes in. They may not officially be leaders, but Clarke and Bellamy are still the best-known members of the Sky People, and they tend to split diplomatic duties between them, depending on how the clan in question felt about Pike's attack on the coalition. Her mother doesn't even seem to mind. "I saw Pyrah leaving, she looked pleased."

"They'll be back in two weeks with some more of their people. We'll sign the treaty. And I'm getting married."

Her mother falters, pen skipping on paper for a second, but then she nods. "As part of the treaty, or just because you want to?"

"It's good luck, starting one alliance with another."

"I hope they don't expect you to marry one of them."

"No, they'll settle for Bellamy."

"That's a relief," says her mother, and Clarke's glad she's not looking up, because her jaw actually drops. 

"I'm glad you agree," she says, careful and unsure. It can't be so easy. Her mother doesn't agree with anything she does.

Abby does look up at that, gives her a tired smile. "You don't have the life I would have wanted for you," she says. "And Bellamy isn't--he's not what I would have expected. But you're happy, and I know he's most of why. Of course I'm glad."

She opens and closes her mouth a few times, trying to come up with an argument. But she doesn't have anything. It's true; of course it's true. She doesn't know what she'd do without Bellamy. She thinks about it all the time--she's lost too many people to keep from imagining losing the ones she has left--and the future without Bellamy is the unfathomable one. She'd go on, she assumes, but she doesn't know quite how.

"Good," she says. And then, "I am too," even though she's still primarily irritated about the whole thing.

"So just let me and Marcus know when they're coming and what you need and we'll take care of it," she says, and Clarke thanks her and goes.

"Your mother congratulated me on my nuptials," Bellamy remarks at dinner that night.

"She seems--happy," Clarke settles on, and he raises his eyebrows. "I was as surprised as you were."

He snorts. "Oh good." His voice is a little awkward when he adds, "I didn't know we were telling people."

"We're getting married in a public ceremony. Did you think we were going to keep it quiet?"

He shrugs. "I guess Jasper does know."

Her mouth twitches on a smile. "He's a lot better at keeping his mouth shut than he used to be."

That gets a snort of laughter out of him. "The lighter side of post-traumatic stress disorder."

"You're more pleasant in the mornings too." She pauses. "Which is good. Because we're getting married."

"Do you think if you say it enough it'll stop being true?"

She bumps her shoulder against his. "I think you'll change your mind."

"Nope," he says. "Pyrah came to congratulate me too. She was so excited. I'm pretty sure if we back out, she'll make you marry someone else."

For the first time that day, Clarke feels warm, like this is the good news it should be instead of--whatever it is. The antsy feeling in the pit of her stomach turns to light, just for a minute.

"And we wouldn't want that."

"Better the asshole you know," he says, and she just laughs.

*

By lunch the next day, five people have congratulated her, and she's back to being irritated by the whole thing. Only one--Heather, a girl from Alpha Station Clarke knew back on the Ark--has actually said anything about the marriage itself as an inherent good, and in Heather's case, it's because she thinks Bellamy is hot and Clarke is lucky. Which he is and she is, obviously, but--it still feels strange. All the other well-wishers are saying nice things about the treaty, how it's good that Clarke and Bellamy will be acting as a symbol of the alliance.

"You're going to tell me this is a bad idea, right?" she asks Raven, after lunch. They're going out in the rover to scavenge a bunker they found last week; she and Raven are still a little awkward, but they met because they were sleeping with the same guy. They've been awkward for more of their friendship than they haven't. And now Clarke is marrying a guy Raven has slept with and she hasn't. It's obviously going really well.

"You're a shitty driver, but I don't think you're going to get us killed."

"I meant the marriage."

"Oh, that's legit? I thought Monty was just drunk."

Clarke slants a look at her. "That's it?"

"What else is there? He agreed, right?"

"Yeah."

"So good for you guys."

"It's basically an arranged marriage," she says.

"Except you guys both agreed and it was your idea," says Raven. "And you were going to marry him anyway. So really not like that at all."

If she wasn't driving, Clarke would fold her arms and fall back into the chair in a huff to sulk. Because--it's not like Raven is _wrong_. It's why Clarke agreed in the first place. But it doesn't make her feel better.

She gets more and more irritated about it as time passes, snapping at everyone and still not knowing why. It's the kind of thing she'd ordinarily expect Bellamy to call her out on, but he doesn't seem surprised. Which just makes it worse. He's treating the whole thing as a matter of fact, as much as everyone else is, and she doesn't know _why_. He should have some kind of feelings about it, right? They're getting _married_.

Octavia shows up a few days before they have to leave to trade, and Clarke assumes they'll at least get in a fight, when she hears. She's not sure why, except that Octavia is always ready to fight, these days, and Clarke's always happy to oblige her. But all she says is, "You and Bell are getting married?"

She knows Octavia calls him _Bell_ because he's her brother, and she's always called him that. But it makes her bristle all the same.

"Yeah."

Octavia considers and then just says, "Good. I'm glad," and leaves before Clarke can say anything else.

So of course, she has to ask him about it, because she's still waiting for the other shoe to drop, for him to realize he doesn't want to marry her, or--something. It feels so stupidly easy, and nothing in her life has ever been so easy. Especially something so good.

"Your sister said she was happy for us."

"Yeah, she said that to me too." He cocks his head. "What, you don't believe her?"

It's a hard question, because it's not like she wants to hurt Bellamy. She wants to throttle him a little, just until he stops being so fucking _calm_ , but that's different. She doesn't want to tell him she didn't think Octavia cared about him anymore, cared about any of them. She doesn't want to say that she didn't think it mattered to his sister at all.

"I'm way too young for you," she says, and he snorts.

"Yeah, that's definitely her main concern."

"How is it?" she lets herself ask. "Seeing her?"

"Good to know she's okay." He shrugs one shoulder. "She's my sister. I'm always going to want her around. But this--being here--is good for me. A place that's mine, where I can take care of everyone--this is what I want. But she had a place that was hers, and it sucked. All she wanted to do was get away from it. I get it. You left too," he adds, with just enough of an edge that she winces.

"I know." She gives him half a smile. "If I'd been here when I left, I would have been pissed at myself."

He snorts. "Wow. That was one hell of a sentence."

"You know what I meant." They haven't talked about this, not really, and sometimes she wonders if they should. It's probably one of those things they should clear up, before they get married.

That's either a long list or a short one; there are a lot of things they could talk about more, but Clarke honestly doesn't care about any of them. He's still Bellamy. He's still hers.

"Yeah, I know what you meant." He shrugs. "I told her it wasn't a big deal."

"And?"

"And she told me I was an idiot and said she'd be back in a month or so. The usual."

She reaches over to give his hand a squeeze. They don't do that often, but they do it more than they used to. Maybe they'll do it more after.

Times like this, it's easy to let go of the irritated anxiety coiling in her gut and think about being happy instead. It's a nice feeling.

"I'm not leaving again, you know," she tells him.

His smile is wry, and he doesn't believe her yet. But what he says, "Yeah, I know."

*

The day before the delegation shows up, she says, "I guess we need to talk logistics."

He frowns at her. "For what? Everyone's set, right? I haven't had any complaints about assignments in weeks."

"When do we start living together? Pyrah already thought we were married so maybe she'll think it's weird that we're not? Or do you want to wait until after we're married? That seems kind of pointless to me, but you _are_ a romantic. I've got the bear to prove it."

To her surprise, Bellamy is staring at her in open confusion. "What?" he finally asks.

"Logistics."

His jaw ticks, and she can't figure out _why_. This is obvious. But if the fight's finally going to come over this of all things, she's fine with that. As long as it _comes_.

It doesn't, of course. If he has his way, it's never coming, and she's going to have to start yelling at him soon, just break the tension.

"If you want to move into my place, go ahead. Miller and I are going to be gone for a few days."

She frowns. "Since when?"

"Since he and his boyfriend broke up and he wants to get drunk and cry about it," Bellamy says. "I'm being a good friend, okay? Miller can't cry sober or in public. He's got an image to maintain. So we're going camping."

"Wow. That's so normal."

"Yeah, I'm pretty worried about fucking it up."

"You can combine it with a bachelor party."

"I'll see if I can get Miller to strip for me." He looks her over, swallows like he's going to say something profound. But instead he says, "I think we're going to that bunker by the lake. You want anything?"

"You already gave me the ugly bear. I don't want to get greedy." She worries her lip. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, probably. We're waiting for Kane to tell us how long we can have."

She debates for a minute, but then asks, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to find out how long we were gone for first." He ducks his head, though, clearly a little guilty. "It just came up today. I was going to tell you."

"This is weird, right?" she decides to ask, and he laughs.

"It's weird." But he bites the inside of his cheek, lets himself take her hand and squeeze it. "I'll be back before you know it."

"You better. Don't leave me at the altar in front of all the grounders."

"Don't bite anyone's head off while I'm gone," he says. "Aren't brides supposed to be happy or something?"

"Aren't grooms?"

He grins. "I'll miss you too."

*

She's not really surprised when Bellamy and Miller's departure is pushed back a day, and when it turns out they won't be back until the day before the wedding. On the one hand, she knows Miller and Bryan really _did_ break up. On the other hand, she's pretty sure Bellamy just wants to get out of the wedding planning.

Not that she can blame him; wedding planning is awful. But she was already irritated, and this doesn't help. So she deals with the diplomacy herself, and moves all her stuff into his cabin while he's gone in retaliation. It feels a little weird, but she wasn't particularly fond of her own cabin anyway. She still doesn't feel like she fits in here, not at night. Not when she has nothing to do.

But it's better in Bellamy's place. He has more things than she does, has lived here longer. And his bed smells like him, which is really nice when he's gone. It's hard to remember that she managed to be away from him for three whole months. Now even a few days feels like way too much.

When he gets back, they're getting married, though. So at least there's that.

He gets back late the night before the wedding, when she's already in bed, and she can hear him pause when he sees her. She tenses, wondering what he's going to do, but all she hears is the door shutting, soft, as he leaves again.

She's going to marry him, and then she's going to _murder him_.

Well, maybe they can have the wedding night first. But after that.

The bride and groom not seeing each other on the day of the wedding is one of those traditions that has apparently survived even on earth, so she spends the day with Arin, the--well, he's not a bride, but he's been put with her, while his partner, Jaril, is preparing with Bellamy. She likes him well enough, doesn't have trouble enthusing about Bellamy and her upcoming marriage, for all she's still itchy and antsy in her own skin.

Pyrah performs the ceremony, makes it a treaty and a marriage and a celebration all at once. Clarke stands in front of her with her hands in Bellamy's, and he can't look at her, which _sucks_ , but she knows exactly why. The mountain clan isn't Trikru, but the look is too similar. She's dressed up like a grounder. He is too, of course, but it looks good on him. 

It's not an open wound on him.

He leans down to press his mouth against hers, dry and perfunctory, and he doesn't linger, doesn't touch her anywhere else. It's the sealing of a contract, and it makes her heart sink.

She grabs Raven as soon as the ceremony ends. "Will you help me wash this off?"

"That was the worst kiss I've ever seen," Raven says, but follows her. "Seriously, I know he can do better than that."

"Thanks, that's helping. It's on my list of things to talk to him about."

"Wow, a whole list? You're really selling me on marriage. That's just the kind of sexy wedding night I want."

She feels better, out of her wedding dress, with her hair unbraided and her face clean. Bellamy is drinking something with Monty and Miller, still dressed up, but the way his eyes sweep over her as she tucks herself back into his side makes her heart race. 

"That's where you went," he says.

"Yeah, it wasn't really my style." She steals the bottle out of his hand and takes a gulp, wincing. "I think your moonshine is getting worse," she adds to Monty.

"Yeah, but you keep drinking it," Monty says. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." She smiles at Bellamy. "We got married."

"We got married," he agrees. He bites his lip. "You look nice."

"Fuck, I'm not drunk enough for this," Miller says, and Bellamy kicks him. 

"I'm actually going to steal him anyway," Clarke says. "Wedding night."

"Told you," says Miller, and Bellamy kicks at him again. Miller dodges and kicks back, and Clarke and Monty exchange a smile. It's nice, easy, and definitely--it feels like possibility. Like they're going to be okay.

Once she figures out what's wrong.

"We really don't have to do this," he says, as she leads him away. "Seriously. I don't think the grounders care. They aren't even paying attention to us."

"I moved all my stuff into your place."

"They'll be gone in two days, so that was kind of overkill."

Her jaw works, but she's not going to yell at him _here_. She's going to do it in private.

So she pushes him into his room, harder than is really necessary, and says, "What the fuck, Bellamy?"

"What?" he asks.

"Why are you being so--" She stops, huffing, because of course he _should_ be weird about this. He's just being weird in all the wrong ways. "What's with you?"

"What's with me?" he asks. "You're the one who's been pissed for three straight weeks, just because I'm doing what you _want_." He crosses his arms. "You really didn't have to move _everything_. This'll be over in a few days."

She pauses, stops and stares at him. "What?"

"We needed to get married. We did. I assume we're getting--divorced. Or no one actually cares. It's not like we have a governing body that's giving us property rights or tax breaks or something. You don't have to--" He looks away. "I can sleep on the couch for a few days. Or at Miller's. Wherever you--"

"You want to get divorced?" she asks, once she's recovered enough.

He pauses, and she can see his throat work. "I figured we would, yeah."

Which isn't really the same as wanting it, and Clarke feels the last few weeks slotting into place, sudden and sharp. "Bellamy."

He sets his jaw, defiant. It reminds her of their first days of being here, all that bravado to cover up being scared. "What?"

"I was really expecting you to fight me on the whole marriage thing."

"It was the right call. I don't usually fight you when you're right." He pauses, almost theatrical. She can see the tension all through his shoulders, and she aches with sympathy. She should have started the fight sooner. "Unless I'm bored."

"Tell me you think we shouldn't get married."

"We already got married. It's a little late for that."

"Humor me."

"Fuck, you're so demanding." He wets his lips. "We shouldn't get married for a treaty," he finally says, and that's all she needs to be _sure_ , because he's--it's not like he's a bad liar. But he still can't say it, that he wants to get divorced, that he doesn't want to be married.

"No, we shouldn't," she agrees. "I was going to talk you into it, Bellamy. I had all these arguments but you just said you would, and--it's all the same argument, okay? You're my best friend, and I love you, and I want to be married to you. I sort of figured I'd tell you that before we got married, but then you didn't try to fight me on it, so--"

"You weren't going to tell me that unless I _wouldn't_ marry you?" he demands.

"It was going to be romantic!"

"You have some fucked up ideas about romance."

"You gave me an ugly bear."

His mouth twitches into a smile, and then he's grinning, like she hasn't ever seen him before. He cups her face in his hands and kisses her, like she wanted him to this time, bright and warm, laughing against her mouth, and she throws her arms around his neck and kisses back.

"Hey," he murmurs, soft. "I think we should get married."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. All your stuff is already here. It just makes sense."

"When you put it like that, yeah." She nudges her nose against his shoulder, presses her lips there. "I guess I should have told you sooner. I just thought--I figured you'd make me say it."

"Say what?" he asks, but his voice is teasing.

"We're staying married," she says, and he slides his hand under her chin, tilting her head up for another kiss.

"Not that."

"You're a dumbass."

"Not that either."

"I'm not leaving you again," she says, and it stops him short. She can see his throat bob as he swallows, and then he's kissing her again, longer and slower, and she anchors her hands on his hips to tug him towards the bed.

"That wasn't really it either," he murmurs, and she smiles as he pushes her down.

"Yeah, I know. I love you."

"Good," he says. He still sounds nervous when he says, "I love you too," so Clarke just tugs him back in and kisses him until he believes her.

*

In the morning, she wakes up with sun streaming in and Bellamy all tangled around her, his fingers still laced in hers. They have the day off because Clarke didn't ask for a honeymoon, but she was hoping to at least need some time alone with him after the marriage, if she'd figured out what was wrong. 

Honestly, she feels kind of stupid for not figuring it out sooner. But he could have _said something_.

She feels his fingers tighten on hers, and the brush of his mouth against her neck, making her shiver. He's so close and so warm, and she snuggles back against him instinctively. 

"It's too early to be making that face," he says.

"Sorry I told you I needed you to marry me."

He laughs, soft, and it makes her feel better. They might have had the shittiest engagement ever, but their actual marriage is off to a great start. He's so happy. 

"Sorry I gave you an ugly bear instead of a ring."

"I love the ugly bear," she says. "I put it on your desk."

He raises his head enough to look, laughs again and buries his face back in her neck. "Fuck, you really did. Still."

"Still," she says, and squirms around in his arms for a real kiss.

It doesn't actually bother her, doesn't worry her at all. She _does_ love the ugly bear, smiles every time she sees it on the desk. It's not like big, romantic gestures have ever done much for her; she'd rather have something that makes her happy.

Exactly one month after their wedding, Bellamy gives her a wooden ring. A _nice_ wooden ring, all dark, smooth wood, with a design carved into it like a star.

"Did you actually make this?" she asks him.

"It's like I'm getting better."

"Yeah, but this is--" She bites her lip, slides it on. It fits perfectly. "Is this why you were holding my hand so much?"

"Only part of it." He leans down and kisses her. "We're still married."

"We're still married," she agrees. "Good for us."


End file.
